Ghost Transactions

Billie-S

Why the heck do these happen?

I have had it happen to me, and it happened to my friend today... She had £80 in her account to last til Tuesday, and spent £43 on shopping today, thinking she'd have £40-ish left.

Basically, she put her card in the machine and the PIN of course, and the cashier asked her to put the PIN in again, as it 'hadn't gone through.' So she did, and it wouldn't have it, it just wouldn't accept it at all. (Obviously £43 had been 'snatched' into cyberspace, and only £37 was left in her account, and so the 'second' £43 wouldn't go through - she has no overdraft.)

So I had to pay for her shopping for her. I don't mind as she is my friend, but WTH? I mean, if she had been alone, she would have had to put all the shopping back AND be without that £43 for a week probably.

A similar thing happened to another friend the other week at the petrol station, and she was put in the embarrassing position of not being able to pay for her petrol, so she had to call a relative to come pay it for her! They wouldn't let her go until she paid, and they said they would have to call the police if she didn't pay.

Finally, someone else I know was left with £9 for almost a week when this happened. A ghost transaction happened TWICE: taking £38 out of the account for 'nothing' TWICE.

WHY does this happen? Anyone know?

Sparx

Usually because the customer removes their card too early after entering their PIN mid-authorisation or a problem with the PDQ terminal itself sometimes.

If mid-transaction it is voided or cancelled, the transaction amount is stuck in suspense for a few working days from their bank balance.

After these few working days, the bank's system picks up the transaction is not actually being processed and is stuck in limbo, so removes the authorisation holding the funds and drops the money back in their balance.

That's why.

Archaic bank systems and authorisation platforms.

Billie-S

Thanks Sparx. Guess me (and my friends) will have to be more careful. I swear that a couple of times it has happened though, that I haven't pulled the card out too soon. So it's most odd.

pmduk

Was it Asda? their systems seem particularly prone to this.

Hooloovoo

Billie-S wrote: »

Guess me (and my friends) will have to be more careful.

I would suggest the best method of "being more careful" would be to not rely on carrying only one method of payment.

What would your friend have done had you not been there or the bank been experiencing technical difficulties? The obviously answer is "pay with a different card".

It's also best to not run your account down to the last few pounds, but I do acknowledge this is difficult for a lot of people. No excuse for only having one account, though.

zerog

It's usually 7 days exactly

I've had this problem several times with Oyster topups recently. But since I use a credit card it's not my money that goes into limbo.

I think it's a bad phone line somewhere.

Everynamestaken

Whenever I hear of ghost transactions, I always think of the one pound that comes off after using the Asda self service at the petrol station

Lily-Rose_3

Hooloovoo wrote: »

I would suggest the best method of "being more careful" would be to not rely on carrying only one method of payment.

What would your friend have done had you not been there or the bank been experiencing technical difficulties? The obviously answer is "pay with a different card".

It's also best to not run your account down to the last few pounds, but I do acknowledge this is difficult for a lot of people. No excuse for only having one account, though.

We have only got one account. Seems an odd thing to say. Why is there 'no excuse' for only having one account? Many people do, and some people don't have credit cards. And MANY people run down to the last 50 quid in their account; some run down to even less.

Ghost transactions have happened to me before, and it has been Asda twice and Sainsburys once and Morrisons once. Left me short for a week once too. The fact you cannot get to your 'own' money for a week is disgraceful. And the times it has happened, there seems to be no reason for it.

PeacefulWaters

Lily-Rose wrote: »

We have only got one account. Seems an odd thing to say. Why is there 'no excuse' for only having one account?

Because you give yourself no contingency if something goes wrong. And there have been enough examples lately of bank systems failing.

Here we have retailer practices causing issues. So another reason to have a backup plan.

Many people do, and some people don't have credit cards. And MANY people run down to the last 50 quid in their account; some run down to even less.

Some may not be able to get a credit card. But the vast majority, with sensible budgeting, should be able to do something that gives them a fallback position.

Ghost transactions have happened to me before, and it has been Asda twice and Sainsburys once and Morrisons once. Left me short for a week once too. The fact you cannot get to your 'own' money for a week is disgraceful. And the times it has happened, there seems to be no reason for it.

I don't think it's good. But it happens. You know it happens. So why wouldn't you put an alternative in place?

innovate

PeacefulWaters wrote: »

I don't think it's good. But it happens. You know it happens. So why wouldn't you put an alternative in place?

Agree, it isn't good but it happens if you use debit cards. The chances of it getting changed anytime soon are next to zero. Thus the smart way of getting around the issue is an alternative that you, the consumer, controls. A credit card, with a sufficient credit limit and being paid off in full every month, seems an obvious alternative. The MSE credit card guide is a useful place to start getting one.

ALIBOBSY

PeacefulWaters wrote: »

Because you give yourself no contingency if something goes wrong. And there have been enough examples lately of bank systems failing.

Here we have retailer practices causing issues. So another reason to have a backup plan.

Some may not be able to get a credit card. But the vast majority, with sensible budgeting, should be able to do something that gives them a fallback position.

I don't think it's good. But it happens. You know it happens. So why wouldn't you put an alternative in place?

There are people in this country who are on such tight budgets they can barely eat how would they have a secondary method of payment?

Mind you I trust the banks less and less and 9 times out of 10 shop with cash myself and always try to keep a bit of emergency cash in if we can, but a few years back and we have been digging around down backs of sofa's and collecting up coppers to go any get some extra nappies and we ran out the day before benefit pay day (OH was made redundant twice in 2 years). We had budgeted and used our limited budget to buy the nappies we normally needed, but a bout of illness for the little one used them up faster.

Some people live literally penny to penny so this type of stupid computer "glitch" can really impact on SOME people. To us now? Probably not an issue if it was a small amount.

So I agree with the idea, but the reality is for some its just not an option.

Ali x